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KU, KSU enter Showdown in different states

Kansas State's Collin Klein (7) works upfield against Texas Tech during an NCAA college football game in Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011. (AP Photo/The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Stephen Spillman)

The Sunflower Showdown is a Kansas rivalry, but this year's edition features teams in totally different states.

In Manhattan, No. 12 Kansas State is trying to stay grounded after a 6-0 start, the Wildcats' best since 2000.

In Lawrence, Kansas is trying to maintain morale after losing four straight games by an average score of 57-26.

"We've still got a lot of season left, and we can still move forward in a great way with this program," KU coach Turner Gill said during Monday's Big 12 conference call.

Beating K-State could change the complexion of KU's season, which hasn't produced many highlights so far. Aside from two early wins, the high point might have come Saturday, when the Jayhawks managed to offer some resistance in a 30-point loss to No. 3 Oklahoma.

"I told (the players) they did a good job of playing with great heart," Gill said. "They came out and played with some belief, confidence, and did some good things in execution, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

"It was good to see our guys have a lot of fight about it. Guys are competing. They did raise their level of competitiveness."

The Jayhawks weren't competitive in a 70-28 loss at Oklahoma State, a game that saw the Cowboys subbing from the scout squad in the third quarter.

As bleak as KU's defensive numbers appear, K-State coach Bill Snyder grades on a curve when assessing the caliber of the offenses KU has faced.

"A lot of people would suggest they've had some difficulty defensively, and the numbers would tend to reflect that," Snyder said. "But you go back and look at who they played against, four of the teams that they've had on their schedule who have accumulated the vast majority of that offense against them are in the top 10 nationally as far as total offense.

"It's not unique for them to have people get yardage on them when you consider those teams. I think they're a far better defensive football team than what anyone would care to give them credit for."

The numbers say KU's defense will get a respite this week against K-State. Somewhat miraculously, the Wildcats are unbeaten despite ranking last in the Big 12 in total offense, averaging 10 fewer yards than they allow.

"I'm not so sure that statistics win ball games for you," Snyder said. "I don't think many coaches really believe in that."

KU would love to end K-State's magical run. Doing so, Gill knows, would go a long way toward changing the state of mind in Lawrence.

"Nothing has to be said too much to get our guys ready for this one," Gill said. "We all know what this is all about, the big showdown here in-state. It's something that is very, very meaningful to everybody involved at the University of Kansas, including our players."

SHAKE ON IT

Postgame etiquette became a topic of discussion after incidents erupted in two games this weekend.

Players had to be separated after Saturday's game between Georgia and Vanderbilt, and Commodore coach James Franklin, a former K-State assistant, was shown in a heated exchange with Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.

Sunday, cameras captured a confrontation between 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Lions coach Jim Schwartz, with Schwartz chasing Harbaugh down the field after Harbaugh punctuated his postgame handshake with a few words and an aggressive slap on the back.

For these reasons, Texas coach Mack Brown would prefer to end the practice of postgame handshakes altogether.

"Some guys don't like each other, to start with," Brown said. "You have to walk down and tell him good luck before the game and you don't want to.

"After the game, some guy may have run up a score, some guy gets beat on a last-second (play) ... Those TV cameras love it. They run and get right in the face hoping somebody's going to mess it up."

Other coaches, including Missouri's Gary Pinkel, support the practice. But Pinkel isn't big on postgame chats, which was captured during an abrupt exchange with K-State coach Bill Snyder earlier this month.

"I'm not a big talker," Pinkel said. "I don't like to sit there and have discussions about things after we lose a game. I'd just rather shake a hand and be respectful and move on."

GUIDRY GETS LOVE

K-State's Raphael Guidry was named the Big 12's special teams player of the week after blocking two field goals Saturday against Texas Tech.

This feat has been accomplished before — Alabama's Terrence Cody did it as recently as 2009 — but Guidry is the first Wildcat in the Snyder era to block two field goals in a game.

"Ralph is a pretty athletic young guy for the position he plays and the size he has," Snyder said. "I think he has started to respond positively and therefore is getting more opportunities. It wasn't just the blocked kicks. Defensively, he began to play well."

Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles was the league's offensive player of the week after catching 13 passes for a school-record 217 yards against KU, a game that saw Broyles become the all-time NCAA leader in receptions.

K-State's Oct. 29 game against Oklahoma will air nationally on ESPN, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Other TV selections for that day include Missouri at Texas A&M (11 a.m., FX), Baylor at Oklahoma State (2:30 p.m., ABC), Iowa State at Texas Tech (6 p.m., FSN) and KU at Texas (6 p.m., Longhorn Network/Jayhawk Network).